Trying to plan my next track car...
How are AWD BMWs on the track? I would prefer RWD as a track toy, but it's hard to find a basic RWD E46 with a stick around here.
Is the E46 less prone to rust than the E36? All the E36s around here seem to be rusty, but I don't recall ever seeing a rusty E46. Of course this could be because they're just newer, but I'm wondering if they came with better rust protection.
It'll understeer and be heavier than the rwd version.
But won't you be able to get on the gas earlier and possibly carry more speed into the corners?
Woody wrote: Trying to plan my next track car... How are AWD BMWs on the track? I would prefer RWD as a track toy, but it's hard to find a basic RWD E46 with a stick around here. Is the E46 less prone to rust than the E36? All the E36s around here seem to be rusty, but I don't recall ever seeing a rusty E46. Of course this could be because they're just newer, but I'm wondering if they came with better rust protection.
Would you be able to shop outside your home area? I see manual RWD E46s pop up pretty routinely around me.
I'd shop in the south to avoid rust on the underpinnings (almost) entirely. Plus way more RWD than AWD there.
Watch the rear wheelwells for rust on the E46s. I was looking at e46s on CL earlier this year and saw several RWD, Sport Package cars that seemed to be pretty good. It might just be a matter of timing.
I bought my E36 from VA to avoid rust, it's a quick trip and for me it was worth it to not have to deal with rust.
The AWD E46s are numb, understeering pieces of crap. They are harder to work on, more expensive to buy parts for, and are generally the redheaded step child of E46s. Just look up how to change the starter on an AWD E46, that should be enough to scare you away.
I've personally autocrossed an AWD 325 and a RWD 330, and there is flat out no comparison. The AWD car handled more similar to my base model Civic hatchbacks that I've had for DD duty than it did to my RWD 330. And my RWD 330 gets around North Dakota just fine with some good snow tires.
Can't help you with the rust, but I agree that I see far less rusty E46s than E36s.
As a serial BMW owner; '75 2002, '82 E21, '87 E30 and a '94 E36 you might want to look into a NASA spec E30.
The E36 is just "big" when driven back to back with the earlier cars. Ultimately the size and cost of the tires needed to even drive on track/practice day's should be factored in your consideration.
The tire's have to be covered by the expanded fenders. The brake's need to slow the beast have to be enhanced and cooled. The differential, also needing a cooler, will lead you down the path of "ramp angles" and additional clutch disks. It goes on.
The reason for starting at spec E30 is you work to an established formula with known limitations. In a smaller car. That uses smaller tires. That cost less.
My E30, purchased not built, is a NASA GTS2 that is all steel with stock fenders. I am running 225/45/15's on 7x15 rims. My self imposed limit is $200 a tire. Thank God I use the car for business. One must advertise somehow.
David
My opinion is based on working on our AWD E90, but the AWD stuff is can really be pain in the ass in the way during maintenance some of the fluid servicing tasks, plus you've got the transfer case, more CV joints/boots and axles to maintain, and servicing the front wheel bearings has become a worse job...
For a track car, I would definitely travel south and get a RWD E46. Maintenance for the AWD system will add time and cost to keep it run, while making the car slower, like some of the others have said.
In reply to jr02518: E46s (and E36s) can be fitted with factory 16" wheels for affordable competition tires. Maybe not as affordable as 15" wheels, but close.
The AWD is a static 33/66 split (give or take a couple %). Open center diff, epicyclic gearing. Basically, BMW made the car drive a RWD as they possibly could. Having an open center diff keeps the turn-in similar to a RWD and a heavy rear torque bias makes the rest of the drivability similar.
One thing to note is struts for the AWD E46 are few and far between. The AWD model has a strut body ~2" shorter than the RWD models. Fortunately, Bilstein makes HDs for the AWD. (It's also practically the only aftermarket strut you can get, period)
E46 330ix wagon is on my long list of cars to have. The long list has the cars I am not actively hunting, but if one shows up at a good price when I need something, I'm going to grab.
They are not without problems. BMW started in with their fetish for aluminum fasteners with this chassis. They break. They tell you the world will end and all sorts of other bad things will happen if you replace them with steel.
You'll need to log in to post.
